Baptisms and Birthdays

We had two baptisms in the Branch last Saturday. The girls ask Dad if he would baptize them. The young woman standing next to Dad is Adzia, she is 15 years old. Azjargel, with her 2 year old son, has another daughter, who is 12 years old. By the time he finished the 2 baptisms his legs were numb. They can only put cold water in the font, if they add any hot water it is the color of mud, but if they have straight cold, it is only the color of root beer! Another good thing is that they both worked the first time! Last week when one of the Elders did a baptism, he kept making mistakes in the prayer, he had to dunk the poor young man 4 times! They were both so cold and then they have to go home!

The Sisters taught them both, Sister Narangaravuu, next to Dad and Sister Munkhsetseg, standing next to me.

The best thing about winter is to see the people dress up in their deels (dells). They look so very pretty! This is Azjargal's son, Batbayer, and her mother, Erdene-subv, she was baptized a couple of months ago, she is the wife to Damdangeorge, who is the 1st counselor in the Branch Presidency. They are a wonderful family!

Azjargle is a seamstress, she made these deels for her little boy and for her mother. She has also made us Mongolian jackets, which we will wear for Christmas and Tsagaan Sar. Some of the deels are lined with wool and are very warm, they are their coats. The sleeves are long, and come down over their hands. I am amazed how they all wrap up! The children don't resist the wrapping up, either.

We were invited to two birthday parties on Sunday. Erdene-subv had a birthday, they invited all the missionaries and us. We ate soup and salads, hot milk and hot water and bread. I brought some cookies, they always like baked things, most of them don't have stoves or ovens. The white wall in back of the sisters and Dad is the back of the fireplace/stove, they are getting warm. He has one of the nicer homes in the branch, it consists of 2 rooms, the kitchen and the living room/sleeping room. They get to trot out to the outhouse for the other room! I count my blessings every day for one inside, even if it smells like an outhouse once in a while!

Elder Davaadorj and Batbayar, the horse fiddle is so unique and so traditional to the culture! They are beautiful, but sound so different that a violin or fiddle we know. Elder Davaadorj is our translator and 2nd counselor in the Branch presidency, he is a very good missionary and so helpful to us!

Damdangeorge's family is so very kind. They have 6 members of his family that are members now. He is so proud of that. Some of his family is not in the picture. We were all bundled up and ready to go and someone wanted a picture, and since I have the only camera...but it is fun, I now get to try and figure what picture they want.

The second party was a little girl who is turning 8, she is being baptized next Saturday. Her name is Enkhjin. Her mother was the one baptized in the river the end of summer.

Notice the candles, they are so unique. She was so excited! Elder Davaadorj told her how to blow them out.

This is the whole group, Selenge, is the woman on the left with the little boy, she is the only member, but I think her husband, behind her, is taking the lessons. That would be so good to have a whole family in the Branch!

We love you all and want you to know how grateful we are for the Gospel!

How very grateful we are to be able to serve a mission!

And even though it has been a challenge, at times how grateful we are to be in Choibalsan!

We are so grateful for the Lord Jesus Christ and for His Plan for each of us.

And we are so grateful we can all be together as a family!

We love each of you and are thankful for You!

Thanks for being our family!